Islamic Revival

By studying the history of humanity, it is evident that any nation builds its material achievements upon a specific intellectual foundation. This foundation sustains and advances the nation's material achievements, even in the face of severe problems or crises. On the other hand, if a nation lacked an intellectual foundation, its achievements would wither away and it would be unable to recover from any setbacks that confront it. It would lose its momentum altogether and cease to exist as a civilization. This intellectual foundation is of the utmost significance, as it serves as the basis for any civilization and provides a nation with its point of view about life, goals, methodology, and a reference for problems and issues that emerge in the course of a society. When the intellectual foundation is adopted and implemented, it engenders creativity and an effective way of thinking. The Muslim Ummah has a lengthy and rich history with the Islamic 'Aqeedah as its intellectual founda...

The following is an extract of the draft english translation of an excellent recent book entitled ' Political Concepts ' which was published in the Arab world in 2005. We will be posting more sections of the book in future. Political plans and styles used to execute such plans change in accordance with interest; though the plans are of less change than the styles. From following international politics, it is noticed that a plan is a general policy, which is devised for realizing one of the objectives required by the propagation of the ideology or by its method. However, the style is a specific policy related to one of the details that help in accomplishing and strengthening a plan. As an example, the American plan for Iraq was to occupy it whether with or without an international resolution. Then, a government would be established that gives international legitimacy to the occupation via the United Nations, after it was ignored at the beginning of occupation. This is beside...

By Abid Mustafa 4/10/2006 Eager to retake her parliamentary seat in the forthcoming local elections on May 8th 2006, Sonia Gandhi has finally brought her resignation tally to a halt. In the past three weeks, she has resigned as the Chairperson of Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and tendered her resignation as head of Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust, Jawahar Bhavan Trust, and, Gandhi and Jallianwala Bagh National Trust. But the most important of all her resignations came on March 23rd, when she quit her parliamentary seat and also stepped down from the post of Chairperson of National Advisory Council.TestOnce again it was the pro-American BJP that played an instrumental role in her dismissal from Lok Sabha (the lower house in India's parliament) and the government's National Advisory Council. The BJP successfully mounted an opposition campaign on the office-of-profit issue following disqualification of Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan from Rajya Sabha. Jaya Bachchan and BJP relentlessly pe...

In order to address the economic system in Islam, we first of all need to clarify the position of Islam in relation to the quest for material well being. This is because the word dunya, which is associated with material wealth or worldly matters has become a dirty word for many Muslims. The separation of deen from dunya (secularism) is a Western-Christian concept that has recently become widely internalised amongst Muslims. Consequently, seeking to increase in economic or worldly matters is frowned upon, - while continuous engagement in prayer and other personal ibadat is regarded as meritorious. As such, many people get confused and conduct a double life. On the one hand, money talks, it gives status and makes life comfortable, so they seek it vigorously. On the other, they feel guilty, thinking that their effort should be spent on 'religious' duties. This is due to a misunderstanding of the position of the economic question in Islam. There is no doubt that Islam is opposed ...

Throughout history Muslims have been renowned traders. Many of the Sahabah (ra) were shrewd businessmen. Indeed, trading is an issue that has been implicitly and explicitly encouraged in the Qur'an and Sunnah. ''O you who believe! Eat not up your property among yourselves in vanities: But let there be amongst you Traffic and trade by mutual good-will.'' [ 4:29] ''And when the (Friday) prayer is finished, then may you disperse through the land, and seek of the Bounty of Allah: and celebrate the Praises of Allah often (and without stint): that you say prosper.'' [ 62:10] ''Allah has permitted trade and forbidden usury.'' [ 2:275] ''And O my people! Give just measure and weight, do not withhold from the people the things that are their due: commit not evil in the land with intent to do mischief. That which is left you by Allah is best for you, if you (but) believed! but I am not set over you to keep watch!'' [ 11:85] Rasu...